Bicycle chain removal and reinstall, safe?
 

I just replaced my chain, and I made a mistake that required me to remove the new chain and reconnect it.

To do this I simply removed an arbitrary pin (not on the spot where the new joining pin was), then reinserted the same pin in the same spot. This is a KMC Z72 chain on a mountain bike, if it should matter.

It seems to work fine, but is this safe to do? Did I just ruin the new chain and will I have it fail prematurely?

I have done it 100 times. If you put it together correctly you are fine.

edit: I'm assuming it's a 5-7 speed chain here.

Kind of. It has mushroomed pins that aren't meant to be removed and reinstalled. You might be able salvage the chain with a quick-link for a couple of bucks. Remove the affected outer and replace with the quick link.

I use a quick link on both my bike and trike. They make it easy to remove and replace a chain.

Yes.

To Push a riveted (mushroomed) pin out you stretched the hole in the Side Plate
Z72 » KMC Chain

So Odds are It will come apart there when you shift hard in the woods enough times .

If you cut it removed the outer link , put a Quick Link in ,

instead of pushing the pin in the likely hood is reduced ,

because as it is the pin fits loosely in the link plate hole.

and the pin head is nearly flush with the face of the side Plate .

BITD , 6 speed era the chains were different.


/..

I've also done it 100 times with older 5/6-speed chains. I would NEVER do it with newer 8+-speed chains.

+1 Without knowing what number of cogs the OP is working with one can't just say it's OK to go ahead.

For some reason I assumed it was a 5-7 speed chain due to the chain model number. Yeah if it's an 8+ speed chain, use a quick link.

The KMC website says the Z72 chain has mushroomed riveting. I don't think I'd re-use a pin on that chain.